Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Use this thread to discuss books you're reading, plans you have, and prompts you've completed!

I just burned through all ten Aurora Teagarden books by Charlaine Harris. I am sitting here trying to get over food poisoning (yuck) trying to figure out what to read next! It's not often I read an entire series with nothing in between. I mean, it's not like I have hundreds of books staring me in the face saying, "Read me!!!" or anything. LOL. I'm sure I will figure it out soon.

Book clubs this month will be Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead and Dawn.

I want to finish up my reading challenges (4 more for Popsugar, 5 more for ATY). I have picked what books I want for each and have ordered everything I can from the library. One book is proving hard to track down (Bryony and Roses) but I haven't check with my e-reader yet - it's got to be on sale somewhere, right?

Then, once that's done, I also have 6 prompts left of the lists mini-challenge.

I want to finish this month because I'll be away traveling for November and December!

'Unfortunately', I also did some library splurging lately. So above the challenge / book club books, I have another 11 out from the library to get through and return. It will be a bit of a push this month for sure.

Our Missing Hearts – Celeste Ng – 4****
This was uncomfortably plausible. Ng holds a magnifying glass to current and past events and predicts the likely dystopian outcome, especially if the silent majority remains silent and complacent when “it doesn’t affect US.” Bird is a wonderful character, and I loved the network of librarians who were used to thwart the “powers that be.”
LINK to my full review

A Death In Door County – Annelise Ryan – 3***
First in a new series featuring Morgan Carter, bookstore owner and cryptozoologist. Several bodies are found washed up on the beaches of Washington Island in Lake Michigan, all bearing unusual injuries that look like bites from a giant, unknown animal. I loved the setting in Wisconsin’s Door County, and I loved Morgan’s dog, Newt. The plot stretched credulity and the solution to the mystery felt rushed as well as implausible. Still, a fast read and moderately enjoyable.
LINK to my full review

I'm reading:
The Kamogawa Food Detectives
The Lost Bookshop
All the Light We Cannot See (re-read)
Consider the Fork
Men Without Women
The Truants
The Remains of the Day

Not sure of all the prompts but I know the last two will be: two word title starting with THE and 5 books list

Strangely enough, I have the 3 geographical prompts (Africa, CA/AU/NZ, Med. Sea) left, yet those are the prompts I usually like. The other prompt remaining is the 2 word title starting with The. I have lots of options for these 4 but am struggling with decisions. I plan to start Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa and may swap it out with a prompt I've already filled. I will also likely read Ties by Domenico Starnone for The Med prompt. This is a really busy month for me so I'm not putting pressure on myself to read too much.

The Affairs of the Falcóns – Melissa Rivero – 4****
Ana Falcón, her husband Lucho, and their two children have fled the political turmoil of their native Peru for the chance at a better life in New York City. My heart broke for Ana and her family. There is a lot going on and they can never catch a break. The ending is jarring and unsettling and ambiguous. I desperately want to know what happens next!
LINK to my full review

Joanna, I also got "grabby hands" at the library the other day! And I put 2 books on hold that have both come in (books on hold from other libraries have fewer renewals than books I check out from my library). I don't know what I was thinking.... :D

I moved a few books around and now only have 2 prompts left - Africa and CA/AU/NZ. I This month is not going as I planned but I've finished 4 books so far and used 2 for the challenge.

- The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation (Title: The _____) I've never read the novel by Cormac McCarthy but know that it is dystopian and very dark. It was interesting and I do still want to read the book.
- Carrie by Stephen King (Edgar winning author)
- We Solve Murders by Richard Osman. Osman's newest series. It's a lot of fun!
- The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. Great source material but the movie was much more enjoyable. The reading level is fairly low (2nd-3rd grade).

I hope to finish the challenge this month with An African in Greenland and either Prizes: The Selected Stories by NZ author Janet Frame or The Underpainter by Canadian author Jane Urquhart.

My book club picked our genres for next year's books, and I've been assigned science fiction in April (well... I assigned it to myself since no one else wanted it).

I don't read a lot of science fiction, but I want to make sure what I pick is accessible to a group that is quick to quit something too literary (especially in the busy month of April).

Here's what I've checked out from the library to read a sample of before deciding. Feel free to give me any recommendations or opinions on these books!

Archangels of Funk
The Stardust Grail
Glass Houses
The Mimicking of Known Successes
Beautyland
Hum

Emily - I haven’t heard of any of those books but I would suggest Orbital by Samantha Harvey. It was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and it’s short at only 207 pages. I haven’t read it yet but it sounds good! One of my favorite SF books is the 1969 classic Ubik by Philip K. Dick.

The only one I've read is Beautyland which I found just ok. I wonder about something fun from John Scalzi, like Starter Villain. There may not be a lot to discuss but it's fast and amusing - it sounds like your group isn't that excited about the genre.

Many people also like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and other books by Becky Chambers, which are sort of cozy sci-fi. And if time travel appeals, there are plenty of options like The Midnight Library (that author has a brand-new book out), Oona Out of Order, etc

I don't want to make them sound averse - they voted the genre into our list, so they definitely want to read it. I just know April is a busy month for all of us, and I was hoping to go with something not so literary. I should maybe look for some of the options you mentioned, Robin... a lot of us read and enjoyed Oona, The Echo Wife, Annie Bot, The Husbands... I think I was thinking a bit too strictly of the genre, so I appreciate you broadening my idea of it.

Though I will check out Orbital, because they don't mind literary if it doesn't drag out too much haha!

I second the rec for Becky Chambers but I'd go with A Psalm for the Wild-Built, since it's a novella. Much easier to squeeze into a busy month.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store – James McBride – 5*****
This work of historical fiction begins in 1972, but is mostly set in the early 20th century in the Jewish / Black neighborhood in Pottstown, Pennsylvania known as Chicken Hill. It is a character-driven work. McBride paints a colorful and intricate landscape, of two equally strong cultures co-existing because of the strength of character of their leaders. At its heart, this is a story of community, cooperation, tolerance and respect.
LINK to my full review

Jackie wrote: "I second the rec for Becky Chambers but I'd go with A Psalm for the Wild-Built, since it's a novella. Much easier to squeeze into a busy month."

True, it's short and sweet but could lead to some philosophical discussion.

I've got 8 books to pick up from the library today for me to skim through before making my final choice (or, let's be real, picking my top 3-4 and polling the group to make them pick lol).

Thanks for your help!

I’m excited to be reading my last 2 books to finish this year’s challenge. Now to not get distracted with 2025 planning and also to not start reading books on my 2025 plan!

That's always the conundrum lol. Trying to finish my 2024 list before I start planning 2025 so that doesn't happen to me!

Emily wrote: "My book club picked our genres for next year's books, and I've been assigned science fiction in April (well... I assigned it to myself since no one else wanted it).

I don't read a lot of science f..."

What genres are you reading?

January - Fantasy
February - Historical Fiction by a BIPOC author
March - Realistic/Contemporary Fiction
April - Science Fiction
May - Mystery/Thriller
June - Realistic/Contemporary Fiction featuring LGBTQIA+ themes
July - Romance/Rom Com
August - Historical Fiction
September - Fantasy
October - Mystery/Thriller
November - Memoir/Autobiography
December - Romance/Rom Com

We pick our genres ahead of time, then each member gets assigned a month (we do a poll to see who wants what), and the person that is assigned the month picks a book within that genre. Some of us who don't want to shoulder the entire burden will offer 3-4 options to the group and let them pick which they want to read. It's a fun process!

I have April (science fiction) and June (the LGBTQIA+ pick).

Emily, your group has 5 doubles on the list (which isn't a bad thing). I asked because I couldn't think of 12 different genres without getting into subgenres.

It is an eclectic list of genres though

Yes, I sent them a big list of genres, and asked which one they wanted to read at least once, which ones they wanted to read more than once, and which ones they did not want to read. All my polling in this group has come in handy haha! So the repeats are prompts that people wanted to read more than once.

Ooh, I'd highly recommend We Deserve Monuments for your June LGBTQIA+ options! It's got A LOT going on in there to discuss!

I was listening to The Fox Wife, but it was due back to the library, so I'll have to wait to finish that.

Instead, I'm going to read Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books, and I think it'll be a fun read.

I haven’t started looking for June’s books yet, but that one was on my radar!

I’m also (very slowly) reading The Fox Wife. I’m really enjoying it more than I expected.

Yeah, June sounds like a million miles away at this point! Monuments might be my favorite read this year, and I've had quite a few 5 stars!

I was really liking The Fox Wife. I was meh on her The Ghost Bride. If I get too twitchy waiting for other people to return the audiobook to the library, I might just have to use a credit on Audible. :)

Mother-Daughter Murder Night – Nina Simon – 3.5***
I enjoyed this fresh take on the typical whodunit / cozy mystery. The amateur sleuths here are intelligent and reasonable in the risks they take. I appreciated that Simon crafted a plot that kept me guessing right up to the reveal. But what I really enjoyed about the book was the family dynamics. The ending of this novel makes me hope for a sequel.
LINK to my full review

Truly Madly Guilty – Liane Moriarty – 3.5***
As much as I’ve grown tired of dual timelines, I have to admit that Moriarty excels at this device. And, as she has done with previous novels, here she also uses changing points of view to explore the basics of our lives: marriage, friendship, sex, family, guilt and forgiveness. Who among us hasn’t been plagued by “what if…”?
LINK to my full review

Mrs Plansky’s Revenge – Spencer Quinn – 3***
Mrs Loretta Plansky is a recent widow, living in Florida, when she falls prey to a scam and finds her bank accounts drained. When the police and FBI tell her there is little to no hope of finding the culprits, let alone getting her money back, Loretta decides SHE will do it herself. This was a fun lark of a novel. She may be in her seventies, but Loretta Plansky is one kick-a$$ heroine! Brava!
LINK to my full review

Finished The Fox Wife! Best book of my month so far (I've only read 4 books... it's been an incredibly slow month for me). It's definitely worth finishing.

Counterfeit – Kirstin Chen – 4****
This is an engaging, entertaining, twisty heist involving counterfeit designer goods, a scheme to trick high-end department stores out of money, and an ever-increasing number of lies told to everyone about what is really going on. Chen goes back and forth in time to tell this story, occasionally interrupting the chronological flow to give the reader a snippet of Ava’s interview with a detective. This device is handled brilliantly by Chen. Keeping the reader off balance and guessing about what will finally happen.
LINK to my full review

Title: North Woods
Author: Daniel Mason
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Print
ATY - I've finished, but it would fit historical fiction, book related to land, involving a wild animal , a touch of magic, chilling atmosphere
Brief reason why it was the best:
It has a very original method of storytelling. This book traces a section of land in Massachusetts over several centuries, with linked stories of the people who live there. There is some magical realism, some humor, drama, tragedy and wonderful depictions of the natural world.

Robin, you put this in the October discussions instead of the BOTM thread!

What Happened to Ruthy Ramírez? – Claire Jiménez – 3.5***
Twelve years ago, thirteen-year-old Ruthy Ramírez disappeared without a trace, leaving her family emotionally scarred. But now, Jessica, her older sister, is certain that a woman participating in the latest reality TV show is really Ruthy. Jiménez uses multiple narrators and dual timelines to explore what happens to this family after Ruthy’s disappearance. It’s hard not to grab onto the sliver of hope that this “maybe” Ruthy on TV gives to the Ramírez women. I went along on the roller coaster ride with them, and hoped, almost as desperately as they did, that they would find her and bring her home once again.
LINK to my full review

Emily wrote: "Robin, you put this in the October discussions instead of the BOTM thread!"

thanks, I'll copy it there.

Elvis And the Dearly Departed – Peggy Webb – 1*
I like a cute and sassy cozy mystery as well as any reader. I love eccentric characters and outlandish plots. But I DO expect at least a semblance of a coherent plot. And at least SOME law enforcement involvement. In this case, I think the author was trying way too hard to make this “cute” and “sassy” and failed to deliver any plot worth remembering.
LINK to my full review